The documents have formed the basis of a series of eye-opening reports on the matter, but thus far have only been obtained by various media outlets who have chosen not to share them with Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball, of course, would like to see them in order to investigate the reports of PED-using players and, ultimately, discipline said players. Two weeks ago baseball sued Biogenesis in an effort to get the documents. Now the reports are that Major League Baseball is simply trying to buy them.

According to the New York times, these efforts were spurred by more than a mere desire to get them for baseball’s own sake. Rather, there were rumors that a ballplayer named in the documents was himself trying to purchase them, with an eye toward destroying them and, presumably, head off discipline. Delicious.

Now, Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times reports who that player is:

MLB felt motivated to buy documents from other clinic employees after learning that A-Rod had arranged to purchase dox

The full New York Times report, in which it is alleged that an associate of Alex Rodriguez purchased the documents, can be read here. For his part, Rodriguez’s representatives are flatly denying the report.

If there is an actual basis to this, one wonders if MLB might consider it enough, in and of itself, to consider A-Rod uncooperative with their investigation and thus suspend him summarily pursuant to the Joint Drug Agreement which requires players to cooperate with the league.

At the moment, though, I think MLB would really have to explain why it believes A-Rod was attempting to destroy them. What the basis for that is. Because that’s a pretty serious accusation to hurl without a strong foundation for it.

Either way, however, this story is getting out of control. If A-Rod did destroy the documents he’s gone super villain on us. If he did not, and MLB or its surrogates are spinning innuendo, they’ve gone mad instead.

Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports reports Thursday that the Orioles “are said to have begun fielding calls of interest” on superstar Manny Machado and “are close to the point of seriously weighing whether to trade him.”

You’d think it would be a no-brainer for the last-place O’s to flip Machado — an impending free agent — for prospects, but Heyman notes there is “still a question whether or not longtime Orioles owner Peter Angelos” will give the go-ahead. One person familiar with the situation put it a “50-50” likelihood. Another suggested that it would take a massive return, which, sure.

Machado entered play Thursday with a sensational .328/.405/.635 batting line, 15 home runs, and an MLB-leading 43 RBI in 49 games. It’d be a real shock if he’s still wearing an O’s uniform by the end of July.

Heyman reported previously that at least nine teams made aggressive plays for Machado this winter, including the Cubs, Phillies, Dodgers, Indians, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Red Sox, White Sox, and Cardinals. A whole lot of those teams still make sense here in late May — maybe all of them except the White Sox.